The Siddhivinayak temple trust here has banned offerings like coconuts, flowers and garlands inside the city’s most famous shrine fearing a terrorist attack using the objects of worship.
The decision was taken by the trust following specific information by the security agencies that terrorist groups might use coconuts to plant bombs inside the temple, which is high on the terror hit list.
The temple, which draws the rich and the poor, the high and the mighty, has been put under 24-hours guard and security has been stepped up in and around the premises.
Lakhs of devotees visit the temple to offer obeisance to Lord Ganesh, bringing coconuts and flowers as offerings.
By an estimate, around 11,000 coconuts are offered to the deity everyday and sources said it is impossible to check every one of them.
Bomb-proof
Since the temple became a target, several security measures were taken to protect the shrine, such as the installation of CCTVs, metal detectors and frisking of visitors. The temple’s surrounding wall has been strengthened and made bomb-proof.
The trust has also put up a net to catch any hand grenade lobbed over the wall.
The temple trust’s CEO Hanuman Jagtap said the new restrictions were for “safety reasons”, and appealed devotees to cooperate.
However, he did not disclose whether any fresh threat has been received by the temple authorities.
The Dadar police, under whose jurisdiction the shrine falls, also appealed devotees to cooperate by not taking inside coconuts and garlands.
This was confirmed by another temple trustee Uday Pratap Singh, who said the trust asked vendors and devotees to implement the police advice.
Devotees shocked
However, devotees are a shocked lot. For them, coconut is an essential part of every Hindu ritual.
“For us, it is a matter of faith, without coconut the entire ritual remains incomplete,” Girish Kulkarni, a bank employee, said.
His views were echoed by other devotees, who wonder whether their “incomplete” prayers will be answered by the Lord.